Work

You’ve applied for tons of jobs for months and months but it just seems like a dead end because you never seem to get a response. Maybe your CV needs some work! Below are major tips to getting past the first stage of the interview process and creating a CV to impress your potential employer.

Contact details: This should be the first section of your CV and include your name, mobile number and email address. Some people take it a step further by adding a profile picture however this is completely optional and not a requirement.

Personal statement: A personal statement is like an introduction to who you are. It should be a summary that reflects your goals, skills, and ambitions. It explains what you can offer as an employee and what you are looking for. Keep it short, sweet and simple but make sure you outline why you are a suitable candidate for the role.

Work experience: This is obvious, you should list all your relevant work experience (including work placements, volunteering and apprenticeships) with the most recent going first. Make sure you use this section to its full capacity by going into specific details of what you have done in previous roles that makes you well equipped to work effectively in the role you are applying for. Include your job title, the name of the organization you worked at, the time of your post and your main responsibilities.

Education: In this section, you simply need to list and date all your previous and current professional and educational qualifications with your most recent going first.Skills and achievements: This is your chance to stand out and show how you may be different from other candidates. Do you speak other languages? Are you Prince2 certified? Have you raised money for a charity? If so, this is your time to brag about your proudest moments and attributes!

Hobbies and interests: This is an opportunity to show the employer a better idea of the type of person you are. Make your interests relevant to the job you are applying for, i.e. if you’re applying for a role with a fashion company, a great interest would be - ‘In my spare time, I love attending fashion shows and creating posts for my personal fashion blog’.

References: A lot of people opt out of providing the exact contact details of their references at this point and leave it till they’re requested at the interview or hiring stage. The decision to include these details on your CV is entirely up to you. If you choose to provide this information at a later stage of the hiring process you can simply write ‘reference available upon request’.

Here at TCHC, we run a range of programmes designed to put you on the path of employment. The programmes include services that can help you with your CV writing skills in order to present yourself in the best light possible to your future employer! Visit tchc.net today to learn more about all the support you can get in putting together the perfect CV. You can also check out our employment guide for tips and tricks.

January 28, the day to celebrate fun at work internationally, (yes that is a real thing). That considered it would be a good opportunity to look at the jobs that don’t adhere to the monotonous 9-5 routine and are not the usual jobs you see advertised on search engines. But here are three jobs that are out there and sound pretty fun; in no particular order:

With the winter months upon us there will be high demand for workers in retail to fill temporary seasonal jobs. How do you feel about earning some extra cash alongside your studies or as an opportunity to gain employment; could it benefit you in the long run?

One way to demonstrate your skills and stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs is to write a compelling covering letter. First impressions really count, and your covering letter should engage the reader within the first 30 seconds of reading.

At an age where work experience may be minimal or non-existent, you may be unsure where to start with your CV and struggling to get anywhere because of a lack of work experience. You may feel like there is nothing to grab an employer’s attention and make them notice you.

It’s Easter and so we are bringing you a special career addition, this time talking about chocolate jobs.

You may not believe it, but there are plenty of jobs in what is a lucrative and increasingly expanding industry. Hotel Chocolat even has a dedicated course, the Diploma in Chocolate, teaching employees about chocolate production methods and customer service.

For those of you who aren’t aware, today is Something on a Stick Day. Yes you’re probably saying, what’s that all about, right? Let’s explain; Something on a Stick Day is all about celebrating food on a stick.

In celebration of this slightly bizarre day, we decided to put our own spin on it and celebrate jobs with sticks instead. Just because we can!

If you have decided to start looking for work you may be busy giving out your CV and attending interviews. We all get frustrated when we hear nothing back after hours of walking around giving out CVs. You need to stay positive and keep motivated, don’t lose focus or give up.